"Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko urgently needs to pay special attention to the security of Leonid Kuchma and his accomplices, who survived the death of [former interior minister] Yury Kravchenko," Melnychenko said in a statement circulated by Ukrainian media outlets.

"Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky, in collusion with some Ukrainian government officials, is trying to falsify the investigation into the murder of Georgy Gongadze. In exchange for this, Berezovsky is extorting $1 billion from Kuchma," Melnychenko said.

"The investigation into the criminal case is being falsified as regards the identification of the organizers of Gongadze's killing, and this is connected to the wishes of Kuchma's clan. According to my intelligence information, after Viktor Pinchuk [businessman and Kuchma's son-in-law] carries out all financial dealings, the racketeers will help Kuchma find a decent way out of the situation similar to Kravchenko's death," Melnychenko said.